User blog:Eddieblake/The Code: Earth Story Part 2
During the downtime the band took a vacation. Meanwhile, William was taking advantage of the downtime by remaining in France and recording a demo for a song that he felt didn’t seem right for Code: Earth. This demo eventually became a song on his experimental solo album William Dunbar Presents: The Real Me, which he recorded with people from outside the group. It was while he was recording this album that he was introduced to a talented musician from Norway, Brynja Heringsdötir. Following the holiday, Code: Earth returned to the studio to rehearse for their new album. It was during this time that William returned from his little solo fling with his new girlfriend Brynja in tow. After listening to the band perform The Devil You Know, William suggested they use a drum machine instead, a suggestion Nicholas none too happy with. Aside from this minor bump in the road, the rest of the recording continued swimmingly. From the outset, the band decided to try something new and tell a story starting with Doctor Love and ending with Under the Wheel (a song that gave drummer Nicholas a real workout). Revitalised following the completion of the album, entitled Chapter IV, a performance was scheduled later that month at Kadic Academy. There then followed a tour in which they performed in Australia and Europe with brief stopovers in America and the UK. The band then returned home and after a quick break, rehearsals began again in the studio. Sitting there watching them was William’s new girlfriend Brynja. This didn't sit well with the rest of the band. It got to a point that one day she actually asked William if she could join the band. One night after rehearsal, William informed Odd that he wanted to bring another girl back into the band. This of course meant that Brynja would come in and unfortunately Ulrich would have to go. It was a request Odd was dead against - they have a great thing going and now William wants to break that bond? William then left it to Odd to deliver the bad news to Ulrich. It was a cold winter that night with rain pouring down from the sky. Luckily, Odd managed to get to the apartment he shared with Ulrich before he was completely drenched by the rain. Once inside, he said to Ulrich “Ulrich, William wants to have Brynja in the group.” “Are you serious?” Ulrich asked. To which Odd replied, "Don't blame me, it was William's idea, not mine." The next day, Ulrich met up with William and punched him in the eye. After spitting in his face, Ulrich looked at William and said "Thanks a f**king lot." '' '' Later that afternoon, Brynja joined the band, playing not only saxophone and trumpet, but other instruments as well. While the band continued to fire on all cylinders, it quickly became obvious that William was trying to recapture something that wasn’t there. Rehearsals continued, but the tension was beginning to escalate. A day later, William and Brynja were elsewhere, so Odd invited Ulrich along to play keyboards for a cover they were doing of Stuff and Nonsense. After finishing the song, Ulrich left. But not before saying the following: (ULRICH) Hey Odd, after all this is over and you want to put together a new band, give me a call. While recording more covers for the album, it quickly dawned on them that William’s contributions weren’t up to his usual standard. With a solo album under his belt and the band more comfortable having Odd in charge, the goalposts were shifting and options were beginning to crop up like targets at a shooting gallery. When William and Brynja left to promote their side-project, Code: Earth decided to put their album on hold. It was around this time that Odd began thinking about replacing Brynja and William. When the album (now called "C'est La Vie") was finally completed, only William and Brynja were pleased with the way it sounded. The album would go on to sell moderately well but the reviews were less than favourable, citing William's solo album, the band's new lineup and the noticeable loss of momentum especially after three successful albums. Despite strong songs such as Stuff and Nonsense, Bergan Aan Zee and Ghost Girl, the band now disregard the album, calling it the weakest. During the downtime between live performances and interviews, the band would find ways to keep themselves entertained. Everyone that is, except William who was slowly getting bored of being tied down with Code: Earth. But what was William's idea of keeping himself entertained - making out with Brynja! By the time the tour came to Australia, the frustration was setting in. It quickly became obvious to Brynja that William wanted to leave. Sometimes during breaks in rehearsal, William and Brynja would stay behind and work on new music. A few nights later following the final performance, the tension between Odd and William got too much and William punched Odd in the face. It was at this moment that William announced he was leaving the band. The two never spoke to each other again... The next day, William announced on Twitter both he and Brynja were leaving Code: Earth. This was accompanied by a racy photo of him and Brynja as a final stab at their former bandmates. Without William's guidance, Odd was now on his own... Category:Blog posts